High cholestrol 27 September 2013 at 11:39AM edited 30 November -1 at 1:00AM in Health & Beauty MoneySaving 21 replies 2.7K views

mazza245

I knew that my cholestrol was usually higher than ideal but just been told that its now 7.2 which is too high. They want me to go on statins and I am reluctant as I already take 8 tablets a day and I want to avoid any more if I can. I said I will do it with diet and they've given me six months to see what I can do. Does anyone know if this is too much to do simply with diet as the recommended level is about 5?

Also, I love butter, semi skimmed milk etc and I am struggling with what I can eat. I have to cut down on red meat, cheese, dairy, bacon, sausages, salami, etc etc. that's pretty much my diet! I am still having cereals with a drop of milk on but am worried about the rest. Last night, we had steamed fish with plain boiled potatoes - yuck! I had to put a bit of butter on just to get it down! Does anyone have any advice or should I just take the pill and eat what I want?

NigeWick

It's not the total amount of Cholesterol that is an indicator of problems. Heart diseases are a complicated subject and most doctors do not understand the ramifications at all.

My Cholesterol is 7.5 and I don't care because the ratios of the component parts of my blood are fine. Have a read of this to see what I mean.

You need to get the print out from your doctor and go through it. The ratios you need are:-
Total/HDL- Ideal is 5 - Mine is 5
Trig/HDL- Ideal is 2 or below - Mine is 1.6
LDL/HDL- Ideal is 4.3 or below - Mine is 3.27

For breakfast every morning I eat a two large egg omelette with either spinach or mushrooms fried in butter. I eat butter on the few potatoes I have too. I do not eat many carbs and so use fat for energy instead of sugar/carbs. I do not get hungry like I used to when on a conventional wisdom diet.

Statins are the most profitable drug the pharmaceutical companies have and it is they who fund nearly all research into heart disease. Is it any wonder that this research pushes the use of statins? Then there are the numerous side effects of the drugs, not to mention the fact that people who reduce their cholesterol levels are more likely to commit suicide and contract other illnesses.

Bigmoney2

NigeWick wrote: »

Statins are the most profitable drug the pharmaceutical companies have and it is they who fund nearly all research into heart disease. Is it any wonder that this research pushes the use of statins? Then there are the numerous side effects of the drugs, not to mention the fact that people who reduce their cholesterol levels are more likely to commit suicide and contract other illnesses.

Good point.

Years ago I was concerned about my Cholesterol level, it was between 6 and 7.
I was told I couldn't go on medication unless it was 15.

Now they are prescribed for much lower levels and they ideal seams to be coming down as well.

Like you say, a nice little money spinner.

badly_dubbed

NigeWick wrote: »

It's not the total amount of Cholesterol that is an indicator of problems. Heart diseases are a complicated subject and most doctors do not understand the ramifications at all.

My Cholesterol is 7.5 and I don't care because the ratios of the component parts of my blood are fine. Have a read of this to see what I mean.

You need to get the print out from your doctor and go through it. The ratios you need are:-
Total/HDL- Ideal is 5 - Mine is 5
Trig/HDL- Ideal is 2 or below - Mine is 1.6
LDL/HDL- Ideal is 4.3 or below - Mine is 3.27

For breakfast every morning I eat a two large egg omelette with either spinach or mushrooms fried in butter. I eat butter on the few potatoes I have too. I do not eat many carbs and so use fat for energy instead of sugar/carbs. I do not get hungry like I used to when on a conventional wisdom diet.

Statins are the most profitable drug the pharmaceutical companies have and it is they who fund nearly all research into heart disease. Is it any wonder that this research pushes the use of statins? Then there are the numerous side effects of the drugs, not to mention the fact that people who reduce their cholesterol levels are more likely to commit suicide and contract other illnesses.

one of the best posts ive read on here...

CW also never mention that fat, and saturated fat more importantly is absolutely vital for healthy functioning hormones and the endocrine system. yet typically they spark fear into people by correlating it to heart attacks and blockages of the arteries....correlation does not mean causation.

NigeWick

badly_dubbed wrote: »

CW also never mention that fat, and saturated fat more importantly is absolutely vital for healthy functioning hormones and the endocrine system. yet typically they spark fear into people by correlating it to heart attacks and blockages of the arteries....correlation does not mean causation.

They also don't tell us that Ancel Keys admitted his research did not show that saturated fat causes heart disease and it was this piece of work that started the cholesterol myth.

badly_dubbed

Ancel Keys....proof of bad science.....just like the China study.

NigeWick

We're reading from the same page.

CallaVandy

mazza245 wrote: »

I knew that my cholestrol was usually higher than ideal but just been told that its now 7.2 which is too high. They want me to go on statins and I am reluctant as I already take 8 tablets a day and I want to avoid any more if I can. I said I will do it with diet and they've given me six months to see what I can do. Does anyone know if this is too much to do simply with diet as the recommended level is about 5?

Also, I love butter, semi skimmed milk etc and I am struggling with what I can eat. I have to cut down on red meat, cheese, dairy, bacon, sausages, salami, etc etc. that's pretty much my diet! I am still having cereals with a drop of milk on but am worried about the rest. Last night, we had steamed fish with plain boiled potatoes - yuck! I had to put a bit of butter on just to get it down! Does anyone have any advice or should I just take the pill and eat what I want?

There is no need to leave any of the food you love to eat or increase your tablets to control your cholesterol. Eat what you want to eat, but take a balanced diet and make sure that you consume what you eat. I mean, do physical activities, walk more and if possible do some exercise daily.

chocomonsta

eating oats are supposed to help by soaking/removing bad cholesterol and ???? was it almonds or is that an old wives tale!

badly_dubbed

Plaque build up in the arteries is more attributable to carb consumption than dietary fats, Carb consumption raises triglycerides & VLDL (bad cholesterol). Fats raise the HDL (good cholesterol). High triglyceride levels & low HDL levels are an indicator of plaque & glycation - the precursors to a heart attack & heart disease.

So i cant see how ingesting more CHO (carbs) would do this IMO

mazza245

Thanks for your replies. They have given me much food for thought. I instinctively don't want to take statins as I have read about the side effects and I know I am taking so much medication already. The nurse/doctors frighten you by saying you are heading for a heart attack unless you get your cholesterol down. I am miserable not being able to eat "normally" so I had decided to go back and agree to the statins. I will obtain those levels as you advise, NigeWick, study the link you provide and think again. BTW, what does CW mean in your replies please?